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  1. Negotiations

US-Bahrain


In May 2004, after just four months of talks, US and Bahraini trade negotiators concluded a free trade agreement between the two countries. The agreement was signed by US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and Bahrain’s Minister of Finance and National Economy, Abdulla Hassan Saif, in September 2004.

Ratification and entry into force was to come after Bahrain assured Washington that it "no longer supports a boycott of Israeli goods".

The FTA came into force on 1 August 2006. [Two years later->12903], the government claimed that the best impacts of the FTA were boosting Bahrain's image in the US and speeding up domestic policy changes at home, while critics pointed to the country's rapidly deteriorating trade surplus with the US. The AFL-CIO has called on the US Administration to withdraw from the agreement over human rights concerns and the mass dismissals of many public sector workers.

last update: May 2012

Photo: Illegally fired public-sector employees protest in Bahrain (Solidarity Center / CC BY-ND 2.0)

FTA training for companies
6-Nov-2008    
Bahraini businesses and commercial establishments are to be trained by United Nations experts on making the best use of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US.
Bahrain: Best Yet To Come
9-Aug-2008    
Two years down the track, Bahrain's free trade agreement (FTA) with the US has garnered mixed reviews, with some hailing it as an overwhelming success while others say it has yet to reach its full potential.
Free trade accord may pose problems for female workers
2-Aug-2008     Khaleej Times
Problems of female workers are expected to increase with the full implementation of the Free Trade Agreement reached between Bahrain and the United States that completed its second year on Friday.
Bahrain exports to US dive 10%
2-May-2008     MENAFN
The US has emerged as the main beneficiary of the free trade agreement with Bahrain as the value of US exports to Bahrain amounted to $529 million during August 2006 to July 2007, up 28 per cent compared to the corresponding period a year earlier, a leading parliamentarian and economist said.
US benefits most from free trade pact with Bahrain
23-Dec-2007     Gulfnews
The US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has proven to be beneficial to the American side. The deal came into effect at the start of August 2006. Available statistics indicate that American exports have increased a hefty 28 per cent during the first year of FTA's implementation. Bahrain's exports dropped by 10 per cent in the same period.
FTA poses challenges for Bahraini working women
16-Dec-2007     Khaleej Times
Working women in Bahrain are facing many challenges and female activists predict more hardship to come in their way after the full implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Bahrain and the United States.
Israel boycott office 'must be reopened'
5-Nov-2007     Gulfnews
A parliamentarian committee in Bahrain has called for the reopening of the Israel boycott office. Manama shut down the office in 2005 as part of the requirements by the US Congress before it ratified a free trade agreement with Bahrain
Bahrain: FTA lure for foreign firms
12-Feb-2007     Bahrain Tribune
The backers of the $1.6bn Bahrain Investment Wharf (BIW) project are using the Kingdom's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States to try and entice major firms from the economic powerhouses of China and India to set up shop in Bahrain.
Bahrain bans strikes a month after allowing them
25-Nov-2006     Reuters
Bahrain has banned strikes and worker demonstrations in most business sectors, a month after labour law reforms banning the sacking of strikers encouraged a wave of trade union activity in the Gulf island state.
Traders still paying duty
7-Oct-2006    
Bahrain businesses trading with the US may still be paying duty on customs-free products because they haven't amended their paperwork. Bahrain Export Development Society (BEDS) chairman Dr Yousef Mashal said 96 per cent of Bahrain's industrial and agricultural products now received immediate duty-free access to the US markets because of the Bahrain-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), but some traders were missing out.